Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-06-15

jess. when once one got thoroughly to know
her, was one of the most delightful COM
panions to a man like John Mel that it
was possible to meet with. Never, till this
long tete a tete at Pretoria, had he guessed
or how witty she could he when she liked
There was fund of dry and suggestive
humor about her which. although it wouM
no more bear being written down than
champagne will bear standing in tumbler,
was very pleasant to listen to, more especially
as John soon discovered that he was the only
person SO privileged. Her friends and re-
lations had never suspected that Jess was
humorous. Another thing that struck him
about her, as time went on, was that she was
growing quite handsome She had been very
pale and thin when he reached Pretoria, but
before q month was over she had got, COM
paratively speaking, stout, which was an
enormous gain to her appearance. Her pale
face, too, gathered a faint tinge of color, that
came and went capriciously, like starlight OH
the water, and her beautiful eyes grew deeper
and more beautiful than ever.
@Who would ever have thought that it was
the same girl?" said Mrs Neville to him,
holding up her hands as she watched Jess
solemnly surveying q half cooked mutton
chop; 4why, she used to be such a. poor crea=
ture, and now she's quite a fine woman. And
that with this life, too, which is wearing me
to shadow, and has half killed my dear
daughter"
II suppose it is being in the open air." said
John. it having never occurred to him that
the medicine that was doing jess so much
good might be happiness. But so it was. At
first there had been struggle, then lull,
and after that an idea. Why should she net
enjoy his society while she could! He had
been thrown into her way through no wish
Of hers. She had no desire to wean him from
Bessie; or if she had desire, it was one she
was far too honorable a woman to entertain.
He was perfectly innocent Of the whole story;
to him she was the young lady who happened
to bc the sister Of the woman he was going te
marry, that was ALL Why should she not
pluck her innocent roses while she mightf
She forgot that the rose is flower with
dangerous perfume, anG one that is apt to
confuse the senses and turn the head. So she
gave herself full swing, and for some weeks
went nearer to knowing what happiness
really meant than she ever had before. What
wonderful thing is the love Of woman in
its simplicity and strength, and how it gilds
all the poor and common things Of life, and
even finds joy in service! The prouder the
woman the more delight does she extract
from her self abasement before her idol. Only
not many women can love like jess, and
when they do they almost invariably make
some fatal mistake, whereby the wealth OF
their affection is wasted, or worse still, be-
comes source of misery or shame to them
selves and others.
1t was after they had been incarcerated in
Pretoria for about month that bright idea
occurred to John. About q quarter of mile
from the outskirts Of the camp stood little
house known, probably on account Of its
diminutive size, as "The Palatial." This cot
tage had been, like almost every other house
in Pretoria, abandoned to its fate, its owner,
as it happened, being away from the town.
One day, in the course Of walk, John and
jess crossed the little bridge that spanned the
SLUT and went in to inspect the place. Pass-
ing down a path lined OH either side with
young blue gums, they reached the little tin
rooted cottage. 1t consisted Of two rooms
bedroom and GOOD sized sitting room, in
which still stood table and few chairs.
with stable and kitchen at the back They
went in and sat down by the open door and
looked out. The grounds Of the little place
sloped down toward valley, on the farther
side of which rose a wooded hill. 10 tho
right, too, was a hill clothed in deep green
BUSH The grounds themselves were planted
with vines, just now loaded with bunches OF
ripening grapes, and surrounded with a
beautiful hedge Of monthly roses that formed
blaze Of bloom. Near tue house, too, was a
bed Of double roses, some of them exceedingly
beautiful, and all Towering with profusion
unknown in this country. Altogether it was
a delightful little spot, and, after tue noise and
glare of the camp, seemed perfectly heavenly;
and they sat there and talked great deal
about the farm and old Silas Croft, and a
little about Bessie.
"This is NICE" said jess presently, putting
her hands behind her head and looking CIT at
the bush beyond.
"Yes," said John. II say, I've got all idea.
vote we take up our quarters here-during
the day, I mean. Or course we shall have to
sleep i'll camp, but we might eat here, you
know, and you could sit here all day; it
would be as safe as church, for those Beers
will never try to storm the town, am sure
of that
jess reflected and soon came to the conclu-
sion that it would be charming arrange
ment, and accordingly next day she set to
work and got the place as nice end tidy as
circumstances would allow, and they com.
poncod housalaoninp